We only 'need' credit because everything we want to buy is inflated way beyond what it is actually worth.

In 1950 the average annual family income was $3,300, and the average cost of a house was $7,400. The only thing that has changed in that time is the money got inflated and became worthless. 

If anything, through technological progress things should get cheaper over time because they become easier to produce at scale.  

You can still do this today, but it takes time and disciplined. It's meant to be difficult so we rely on their systems of extracting more from us through loans.